Apparatus and Method for Detecting Damage to a Steering System

Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting damage to a steering system, wherein values of moisture in the steering system are determined with a sensor within the steering system, wherein the damage is detected as a function of the values.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for detecting damage to a steering system, comprising:
 determining with a sensor within the steering system values of moisture in the steering system; and   detecting the damage as a function of the determined values.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining with the sensor includes determining values of a temperature in the steering system;   the method includes determining a distance of the temperature to a dew point temperature; and   detecting the damage includes detecting the damage as a function of the determined distance, in response to the distance being less than a threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a moisture gradient is determined as a function of the values; and   detecting the damage includes detecting the damage as a function of the determined moisture gradient.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein detecting the damage includes detecting the damage as a function of the determined moisture gradient in response to the determined moisture gradient being greater than a threshold value. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the damage is detected in response to detection of a deviation of at least one of the determined values from a reference curve for the moisture or the moisture gradient. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the damage is detected using artificial intelligence which is configured to map the determined values to a classification; and   the damage is further detected as a function of the classification.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for detecting damage to a steering system, comprising:
 a sensor within the steering system configured to detect values of moisture in the steering system; and   a device configured to detect the damage to the steering system as a function of the detected values.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the apparatus is configured to determine a temperature in the steering system with the sensor;   the apparatus is configured to detect a distance between the determined temperature and a dew point temperature; and   the device is configured to detect the damage as a function of the distance in response to the distance being less than a threshold value.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the device is configured to determine a moisture gradient as a function of the detected values and to detect the damage as a function of the moisture gradient.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the device is configured to detect the damage when the moisture gradient is greater than a threshold value. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the device is configured to detect a deviation of at least one of the values from a reference curve for the moisture or a moisture gradient; and   the device is configured to detect the damage when the deviation of at least one of the values from the reference curve for the moisture or the moisture gradient is detected.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the device comprises artificial intelligence which is configured to map the values to a classification and to detect the damage as a function of the classification. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle, comprising:
 a steering system; and   the apparatus of  claim 7 .